After Stella’s kingdom is invaded and most of her family slaughtered, life is not easy for the young dragon princess. Smothered and overprotected, she never has any room to breathe or a chance to experience anything for herself. But when her older sister returns home after being assumed dead, Stella finally has the chance for freedom. A missing royal crown and a clue linking it to the human city of New Orleans prompts Stella to leave her protected kingdom and experience something new. But no one is expecting the trials the young royal will be faced with while in the human world.

Rhodes is an amazing assassin. He’s never once failed to fulfill his contracts – no matter how hard or gruesome they may be. When he’s hired to stalk and kidnap the princess, he expects it to go just as easy as all his other jobs. But there’s just something about Stella that makes him want to protect her and keep her safe. And when secrets are revealed that prompt him to change sides, he doesn’t know where he stands with the princess or if she’ll ever forgive him.

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Written in dual third-person POV, “Ancient Vengeance” follows Stella and Rhodes as they attempt to solve the theft of and locate a royal tiara while also fighting against their attraction to each other.

Stella is a force of nature, and absolutely determined to live her life as she wants now that her family’s overprotectiveness is slightly abated. She’s small despite her dragon nature and she’s always considered much weaker than she really is, and she uses that to her advantage. I loved how strong and no-nonsense she was when she interacted with Rhodes and some of her family, but she still had a sweetness to her that made me like her too. Rhodes is overprotective with a darkness to him that sometimes seems too much when it comes to Stella. But given how he grew up among humans as a dragon shifter with no family or close friends, it doesn’t surprise me how overprotective he is with Stella despite not feeling worthy of her attention or love. Especially given the secrets he carries when it comes to their meeting.

I liked the start of their romance and a bit of their friendship that they grew into as they progressed further in Stella’s mission. But it sometimes felt too fast for me. I know the author was leaning heavily into the fated mates aspect of the storyline as well as Stella’s experimenting after finally going off on her own, but it felt so quick for them to be falling into bed together considering Rhodes was meant to be kidnapping her. I do think Stella forgave him just a little too quickly in the end when everything is revealed and she rescues Rhodes from a rival kingdom. I know by that point that she had fallen in love with him and would ignore everything he did given how overprotective he was of her, but it just felt like the whole getting paid to stalk and kidnap thing was glossed over too easily. But that’s my opinion.

The whole plot of the tiara theft and locating it in the human world felt like it was ignored sometimes, while at the same time being the only purpose for the story. It’s hard to explain exactly why I feel like it fell by the wayside when Stella’s presence in the human world wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the tiara being stolen. And while that mystery was solved in the end, it felt like an overthought. I think I probably would have enjoyed it more if the whole enemy kingdom faction would have had more of a hand in that mystery rather than it just being two simultaneously happening problems for Stella and Rhodes to overcome.

But all things considered, this read was still pretty good. It was probably a solid 3.75 out of 5 stars. The steamy scenes with Stella and Rhodes were entertaining and the romance was okay, but I just wanted a little more in terms of the conflict and mystery. This is the sixth book in a series, but I think it is mostly detailed and plotted enough to be read as a standalone. I’d certainly recommend this book to readers who love shapeshifter dragon romances with a side of fated mates and other paranormal creatures like vampires and Fae.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

These books keep on getting better and better and the heroes are just to die for! Rhodes is a true alpha male and an assassin who has been tasked to kidnap his mate. Lol, Let the action and suspense being! Loved, loved, loved this one sooo much. Finished it in one sitting. Ms. Reus is a great storyteller and you can tell from all the books she has written. Just awesome! Rhodes has been tasked to kidnap Stella only to realize that he may not have been given all the information that he needed to know before accepting. Then he has to apologize, Lol. So good. 4.5 stars

A big thank you to NetGalley and KR Press, LLC for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is part of a series, but does read well as a stand alone. These are such fun books to read, especially if you love Dragons!! Stella and Rhodes are a fun couple. Never a dull moment. 3.5 stars

I love dragon shifter books. Other than reading Thea Harrison’s Elder Races series, I haven’t really read dragon books. Katie Reus is one of my favorite new-to-me authors & favorite authors in general. She writes such an amazing story & really brings the characters to life. As a reader than has gotten pickier as the years pass, I really appreciate her even more.

Rhodes has been hired by the fae to kidnap Princess Stella of the Nova realm. Except he knows she didn’t do the things that the fae are accusing her of doing. After following her around for weeks (i.e. stalking) her, he decides that he has to protect her. When she heads out of the realm on a mission to New Orleans, Rhodes barely stops her from being taken by the Fae.

Stella wants to prove to herself & her family that she is more than just an ornamental princess. After being sheltered her entire life, Stella is ready to spread her dragon wings. She wants to prove that she can be an asset to her clan & her people. When Rhodes arrives right when she is poisoned by the fae, she immediately (& incorrectly) assumes that he is a bodyguard sent by her family. Rhodes doesn’t correct her. To do so would mean she would be unprotected as she would certainly never forgive him for lying to her.

Stella is on a mission to find a crown that someone stole from her clan. Although she knows that the fae are a problem, she won’t stop looking for the crown. She feels it’s her only chance at proving herself. Both Stella & Rhodes are drawn into the new world in New Orleans where clubs are only open twice a week & payment goods are traded for services. It is quite a post-apocalyptic world that Reus has created here. I love it.

Rhodes knows that Stella is his mate, but her mating manifestation isn’t appearing which is pretty devastating to him. He doesn’t even consider the fact that the poison could have affected her in that way. Which is weird, because even I guessed that is why. Overall, I loved this book. I thought Stella & Rhodes were both amazing characters & a great team. I’m so excited that these books are being released almost back-to-back. Yay for dragons!

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.

I volunteered to read and review an advanced readers copy through Net Galley of Ancient Vengeance . I enjoy reading this outstanding paranormal romance . It's action packed from start to finish as well as very interesting and entertaining . Stella is from a ancient dragon line she's decided she has been smothered enough she wants to leave her realm and travel to New Orleans . Dragon shifter Rhodes is an assassin he's been hired to kidnap Stella as payback on her clan . Upon meeting Stella he decides to protect her and claim her as his mate . But overcoming danger and regaining her forgiveness are two different things . This story is sensational . I highly recommend taking the time to read .

We were introduced to Stella in a previous book, but I’m sure you can pick up the thread here if you need to. I’d recommend starting with book #1 though, because this universe is great!

Stella has been recently removed from her more princess-ly duties because her older sister has resurfaced. As a dragon shifter, she’s eager to get out there and spread her wings (haha!), but such an act comes with a bit more risk for a royal such as herself. On her way to New Orleans (where all the best characters live!), she ends up being attacked. Lucky for her, she’s already being sort-of stalked by Rhodes.

I wasn’t sure what to think of Rhodes. He is introduced as an assassin who has been hired to kill Stella. We know no good ever comes from someone hiding their motives for meeting a mate, but here we are. Rhodes is genuinely caring and worried over Stella’s well being from the start. It’s this true affection that really sold me on their love story. The other characters may not have been so easy to sway, but watching this romance simmer was awesome. Another great side story we get here is the lion shifter and the vampire. I need to see more of them! All in all, this universe continued to captivate and I cannot wait even more books in the series.

Well hot damn , that was super sexy and fun! This has been a great series, that can be read as a stand-alone, that I stubbled upon. I love the characters and each storyline has been very different but still on pace with previous stories. I’m excited for the next.

This story is steamy and action packed as the shifters, vampires and fae work to rebuild New Orleans after The Fall, and protect it from those that seek to destroy them. A page turner from beginning to end that keeps you wanting to know what's next.

An edge of your seat deeply emotional roller-coaster ride from beginning to end. Highly entertaining, thrilling, action packed adventure filled with witty and engaging charters, dangerous twists and heart racing turns.

We've back with the dragons in the Ancients Rising series. We've pretty much left the original cast and are dealing with newly added characters this time around. I liked this book a lot. It wasn't too intense but it did keep moving forward.

I liked both leads. They had some good give and take as far as power in the relationship. It is a deception plot but it's very obvious from the get-go that Rhodes has no nefarious intentions and the deception is obviously going to come out.

Stella was likable while trying to spread her wings. She didn't go straight to not trusting anyone and being hard headed, I hate that. Her upset at Rhodes' deception was understandable, possibly a tad much but it does remedy with a HEA. Looking forward to more. Maybe Christian and Axel? Or one of the cat shifter girls.

Another really fun installment! Stella and Rhodes are great together, and I enjoyed their romance. Yes, the drama was a bit predictable, but it was still interesting and didn't play out quite as I expected. We also get to catch up with several previous characters, which is always a plus! A very enjoyable read - looking forward to #7!

4.5 stars

Ancient Vengeance is book 6 in the Ancients Rising series and another wonderful addition. Rhodes is an assassin with no family or friends who is contracted to kidnap the Princess Stella from the Nova Realm. While watching Stella, Rhodes begins to feel possessive of the princess and when he realizes that he has been lied too it's too late because now he wants to keep the Princess for himself. Stella is the younger sister of Juniper who has been sheltered by her family for so long all she wants is to spread her wings. Stella's immediate attraction to Rhodes is like nothing she has ever experienced. I loved the chemistry between the two but also experiencing all their first together made it even better. I can't wait to find out who the Dragon is that was let out of the dungeon and as always, I can't wait for more in this series.

ARC received for review

Stella is sister to Juniper (Ancient Retribution) and she is getting her chance to leave and go to Earth. Little odes she know there's a contract out on her. Rhodes is supposed to kill her and bring back her head. Rhodes' dragon has other plans for her. They make it to Earth and we see lots of the old peeps including that pesky lion Alex. Everyone works together to defeat this enemy but grandma makes sure there's no retribution. Loved all the previous peeps.

This is book 6 in the Ancients Rising series and while it can be read as a standalone, I would read at least the previous book before this one as that one is about her sister. In this one we get Stella's story. Stella has been sheltered ever since most of her family was slaughtered, all while still being trained how to be fierce and fight. But when her sister is found and brought home, she realizes that she can finally explore the world and live her life the way she wants to. And finally gets her chance with an assignment away from home. Rhodes is an assassin. He took a job to kidnap Stella and has always finished any contracts he takes. Until he sees her and realizes that she is an innocent. Now, he will do anything he has to do in order to keep her safe. And once he spends time with her, he knows she is his mate. But will she forgive him for not telling her the whole truth? And can he keep her safe while he ferrets out the beings after her?

I loved most of this story. Stella and Rhodes are perfect for each other. I loved how they both have issues pertaining to their pasts but they still know they have something with each other that they want. Rhodes doesn't think he is good enough for her, whereas Stella thinks she is too inexperienced for him. I love how they take the time learn about how each other ticks and about things that they have never really told anyone. Their interactions with others was funny to read, and the fact that they both had to learn to truly make friends was something I enjoyed. My only drawback-I wish we knew more about where Rhodes truly came from and what happened to his family and such? It kinda left me with questions that I felt like I needed answers to, but that is mainly just my mind not wanting to let it go. Everything else about this story, I absolutely loved!

Book six takes us back to Nova Realm and the younger princess Stella is ready to spread her wings now that big sister Juniper has been found. SHe takes an assignment from her mother to track down a stolen crown in the human realm. The adventure starts and almost ends within minutes of her travel.

Thank goodness Rhodes has been tracking her moves for some time and rescues her from the Fae determined to put and end to her. They travel together to New Orleans and things get really messy from there.

Rhodes is a gun for hire but his dragon knows that Stella is his mate. Can he convince her and more importantly himself, that they should be together forever?

I would have loved a bit more back story on Rhodes. Her gives details, but I felt like we needed an AHA! moment at some point. Maybe we will get that in future books.

As always, the dragons kick a$$ and take no prisoners! Great addition to the series!

Read them all!

Love these dragons, but then I love this author. I hate when I get to the end of a book, but then I can’t stretch it out either, their just that darn good. Stella is a dragon princess.when she starts out on her first assignment she’s poisoned. But by who? Who would dare?

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Although there is often quite a few months between the Ancients Rising stories, you just slip right back in from the first page. Of course, the stories can be read as perfect standalone. But it is just soooo much better to read them all. In that case you can just better enjoy all the tension between Alex, the lion shifter and Christian the vampire (yep, from Ancient Retribution). And you understand why Stella is real happy to go on a mission to New Orleans (the hometown of King and Aurora from Ancient Vendetta) Rhodes is an over-the-top-alpha dragon. (And I love those).

When Stella mistakenly thinks he is send to bodyguard her, he lets her believe this. Because, in fact, he was send on a mission to kill her. But when he realizes Stella is nothing like they told him, he doesn’t think twice to ignore his assignment and vow to keep Stella safe.

Of course, this is not without consequences, so there will be suspense, danger, dark alliances and sparks flying. As usual, a germ! Hopefully the next part in the series will be there soon. Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

This is the sixth book in the Ancients Rising series, a dragon paranormal romance. We get the story of Stella and Rohdes, a great couple to add to this fantastic series. If you can read them all they are totally worth it. I love the plot line, all the different characters, and the world-building in this series. Lots of steam and great chemistry.

Ancient Vengeance is Ancients Rising Book 6 which once again has dragon shifters as the main characters. Katie Reus returns the reader to the after the fall New Orleans area for part of this story. However, the story begins in the Nova realm with Stella a dragon princess feeling protection suffocated and rightly so. Being small in statue is mistakenly seen as weak. In this story she shows how strong she is. The theme of wanting to be spread your wings is one that is easy to identify with growing into your own person or in Stella’s case dragon.

Dragon shifter Rhodes is first hired to kidnap Stella, but those plans changed as he decides that is not the action he should take. Instead, he has the desire to protect and “keep” her. I had a little problem with his terminology but otherwise enjoyed the story. Especially since he was soon set right about his relationship with Stella, she is plenty tough, no “keeping” necessary. That is good since the threat to Stella did not just disappear but grew more dangerous as the story progressed.

Some conflicts in the relationship department but all works out as it does in a paranormal romance. Expect there to be more than one steamy scene between the two. Fans of the series will LOVE this new addition. Each book in the series builds on the new world theme but still stand-alone well too.

4.5 Stars
An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book 6 of the series but can be read alone. I have read others, but not all, and was not lost. This one has Princess Stella who wants to spread her wings of independence a bit, and Rhodes who is hired to kill her, but instead falls in love with her. Dragons! Enjoyed this one overall, as like the author, but to be honest found Stella a bit weak at times. Perhaps because she was so sheltered, but at times I got a bit impatient with her. Might just be me. Would recommend.